Mami: The Figure Behind the Sales Team

8th May 2020, one of our colleagues has passed away. This note was written to remember her. Everyone knows her as the most friendly and gentle person in our team, and this note reveals some stories that you might never heard of before.

In December 2018, it was announced that there will be a new team member joining our team. I was told that person was a woman. It’s rare for a woman to be part of a sales team, because it’s often characterized as a man’s world.

Time flew by and as the new year approaches, she finally joined our team. A beautiful woman dressed with a hijab, jeans, and sneakers. I shook her hand, and she told me her name was Septi. Suddenly, I thought “this is no ordinary woman”. I still remember how she greeted me “loooo iki jenenge mas Iyo. gantengee ya Allah…” and that still warms my heart.

She was assigned to lead our sales team in Central Java (Jawa Tengah). In less than two years she managed to she grew our sales to almost nine times. It’s a milestone because we never thought the Central Java team would achieve, but she nailed it. She inspires her team to strive for better. Everyone I know told me that she leads by showing the way. She never complains about working overtime, which happens almost everyday, she lifts herself up as well as her team. She’s almost the perfect sales role model.

There were signs that, if we paid attention, we would’ve understood.

For example, she would go MIA from time to time and no one could reach her. I didn’t know the reason she was unreachable, and I didn’t question it. Another time she told us to stay healthy, to exercise, and eat healthy foods. I thought she was just sharing about her diet. She also reminded us to never miss prayer and to pray on time. She always looked healthy and cheerful. I never thought something bad would happen to her.

Suddenly, we heard she got an operation in 2019. Boom! It was like a bomb exploded in the sales team. I never thought a healthy, cheerful, and friendly person could be diagnosed with a terminal illness at such an early age.

Now I know why she missed meetings and sometimes doesn’t respond to our messages. She was going to the doctor, holding in the pain. She would tell me, “don’t worry Iyo, aku gapapa”. She doesn’t want us to worry. Recently, this past February, I was in Yogya to meet with our business partners. She was there to accompany me. She was in pain, but she didn’t tell me. I had a feeling though that she was in pain, but didn’t want to worry me so I told her to just rest. But still she stubbornly went anyway. Later on, her team told me that she was probably in pain. She had gone to hospital several times that week, but she managed to accompany me because she didn’t want to let her illness stop her.

She constantly promotes a “can-do” attitude, as well as a high standard of responsibility. Even though her body isn’t 100%, she always manages to complete the assignment right on time. There were a lot of assignments, and she always finished them on time. Even when she’s on a hospital bed, she never complained. She continues to lead our sales leaders with a positive attitude, even in times that couldn’t have been easy. She told us to always be motivated, and to not complain about challenges we might face. Her positivity will be missed.

In early May 2020, she told us that she was hospitalized. We thought that she would be alright, and pull through like before. We were still talking two days before she passed away, but on 7th May we heard nothing from her — this time something doesn’t feel right. Pak Yeyen told Pak Syamsul to check on her at the hospital. She’s still there, resting, but after a couple of hours, she passed away. Calmly, in peace.

Her legacy will be carried on. Her loss will be remembered forever. Mami, will be missed by all FAZZMILY. Allah loves Mami, and now there will be no more pain. See you, Mami Septi!